The channel's success is driven by the collaboration of teams from Mayo Clinic's Center for Digital Health, Marketing, IT and Communications, along with staff members across Mayo Clinic who share their expertise to help others.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic's YouTube channel recently surpassed 1 million subscribers.

Mayo Clinic started its YouTube channel in 2006, before the streaming platform became a household name. Over the past 17 years, the channel has grown steadily, delivering Mayo Clinic expertise into homes around the world. Topics covered on the channel have ranged from tips for reducing ankle sprains to explaining how the circulatory system works to a discussion about cancer rehabilitation.

In 2021, the channel received accreditation from the National Academy of Medicine, a designation that appears under all of Mayo Clinic's videos.

The channel's success is primarily driven by the collaboration of Mayo Clinic teams from the Center for Digital Health, Marketing, IT and Communications, along with staff across Mayo Clinic, including content creators, storytellers, physician and clinical experts, and managers and staff who share their expertise and experiences to help others.

Growing need for trusted content

Halena Gazelka, M.D., chief communications officer for Mayo Clinic, believes the growth of the Mayo Clinic YouTube channel reflects an increasing interest among the public in accessible and reliable healthcare information.

"At Mayo Clinic, we understand the critical importance of accurate health information. Our YouTube channel allows us to combat healthcare misinformation by providing trustworthy, evidence-based content to a wide audience," says Dr. Gazelka.

In 2021, Mayo Clinic and YouTube began a formal collaboration with a goal of providing medically authoritative and trustworthy content to YouTube consumers worldwide. While the relationship began during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has expanded to focus on additional serious and complex conditions, with the most recent effort focusing on cancer content.

Viewers continue to turn to Mayo Clinic for the information they need to care for themselves and their loved ones. This trust results from a tradition of innovation and education, along with the commitment of staff to focus on the needs of the patient first.  

"Through the Mayo Clinic YouTube channel, we are not just sharing information. We're extending our mission to educate and empower individuals with reliable healthcare information," adds Dr. Gazelka. "This inspires us to continue to work together to provide healthcare resources that support people where they are and when they need us."

21st century tech, 19th century vision

In many ways, YouTube is a 21st-century technology that is helping Mayo Clinic fulfill the 19th-century vision of the hospital founders, Drs. William and Charles Mayo. At the heart of their mission was a desire to inspire hope, fuel innovation and create a place of healing for all people.

More than a century later, Mayo Clinic continues this commitment to inspire, educate and heal.

"Achieving this YouTube milestone reflects Mayo Clinic's history of innovation," says Brad Leibovich, M.D., medical director, Center for Digital Health, Mayo Clinic. "It is a reminder that people are looking to access healthcare in new ways. Through platforms such as YouTube, along with advancements in technology, including generative AI and large language models, we will continue to deliver digital solutions that connect people to the care and resources they need."

The YouTube platform has become a place for care team members, staff and patients to share their stories and offer a behind-the-scenes look into the heart of Mayo Clinic. Though each person's story is unique, collectively, they convey the dedication to excellence and compassion that echoes throughout the organization.

"This success of the Mayo Clinic YouTube channel would not be possible without the many contributions from internal teams across our entity — from content creators to videographers to clinical experts to research and beyond," says Sherri Gilligan, chief marketing officer for Mayo Clinic. "With more than 2 billion active users a month, YouTube allows Mayo Clinic an opportunity to creatively collaborate in new ways to create engaging content and share our scientific and medical knowledge to consumers worldwide."

Become a YouTube subscriber

You can be a subscriber too. Join the Mayo Clinic YouTube community by subscribing today.

Currently, the top five videos on Mayo Clinic's YouTube channel are:

1. Female Fertility Animation
2. Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips to Best Remove Ticks
3. FEES Swallowing Study: Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of a Swallowing
4. The Heart and Circulatory System — How They Work
5. Epididymovasostomy — Mayo Clinic

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Heather Eidem, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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